School: Cornell University
Location: Ithaca, New York
Undergraduate program: Bachelor of Architecture (five-year professional degree program)
Graduate programs: Master of Architecture (professional), Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design (post-professional, formerly called M.Arch.II), PhD in History of Architecture and Urban Development
Number of students: 282 (undergraduate), 120 (graduate)
Number of faculty: 46 in Ithaca; 10 in New York City; eight in Rome, Italy
Notable alumni: Richard Meier, Peter Eisenman, Ratan Tata, M. Arthur Gensler
Website: aap.cornell.edu
Strengths: Undergrad and graduate programs are consistently ranked tops in the U.S., high-profile national and international visitors are an important part of the school’s curriculum.
The overview: The programs offered through Cornell’s College of Architecture, Art and Planning (AAP) celebrate architecture as a key tool, both creative and potent, for bettering the world, addressing design from a “social, ethical and artistic perspective.” The demanding bachelor program (with focuses on design as well as theory, history, technology, representation and structures) has ranked number one in the U.S. for four years running; in third year, B.Arch. students do a semester in Italy’s capital and can apply to study at AAP’s New York program. A range of graduate programs aim to make students accomplished specialists in their fields, with many students landing studio training around the world.